Advances in media device technology have enabled media devices such as televisions to have the capability to connect to the internet directly and to run multimedia applications that stream movies and music from online services through the internet-enabled television's internet connection. This capability has also allowed internet banking and payment transactions to be carried out on internet-enabled media devices. For example, a user can access an online banking website through the internet-enabled media device, and log on to the user's account to check the account balance. A user can also access a merchant's website through the internet-enabled media device to purchase goods and services.
While this capability provides a user with the convenience of performing financial related transactions from the living room through the web-enabled television without using a computer, the operating system (OS) of the television and the software applications running on that OS often lack sufficient security measures to ensure sensitive data such as a user's bank account credentials are adequately protected. For example, there is a lack of available anti-virus software programs and firewalls that can adequately protect the OS of the television from a malicious attack. As a result, it is possible that the OS of the television can be hacked and be high-jacked by malicious software sent to the web-enabled television through its internet connection. When a user enters the user's bank account credentials during an online banking session that is being conducted through the web-enable television, the account credentials can be captured by the malicious software and be transmitted to a third party through the web-enabled television's internet connection without the user's knowledge. Hence, there is an inherent risk that a user's bank account credentials can be comprised when a user conducts online banking through an unsecured and untrusted device such as the web-enabled television.
Embodiments of the present invention address these and other problems individually and collectively.